374 
A CRUSADE IN THE EAST. 
first we thought they were Bedouins, and there was the most 
intense anxiety and consternation on all sides. Yusef turned 
ghastly pale, and said that the water made him sick ; but no 
sooner did he catch sight of a horseman, who dashed out of 
the front ranks of the approaching party, than he set up a 
frightful yell of defiance, plunged spurs into his horse, and set 
out furiously to meet him, and settle the thing by single combat. 
Long before the rival warriors met, they commenced firing 
their pistols and guns in the air, and when they did at last come 
together, they grappled each other by the neck, and I thought 
it was the most dreadful scene I ever witnessed to see them 
thus twisted up in a struggle of life or death. But it was 
neither a struggle of life nor of death, as we soon discovered; 
it was only a struggle of love—pure devotion of heart between 
Yusef Badra and his friend Emanuel Balthos. 
In a few moments the whole party came up, headed by 
the Catholic Bishop of Jerusalem, and a dozen priests. It 
was the party of Dr. Mendoza. Nothing could exceed the 
devotion of the Bishop, and all his followers, to the interests 
of Dr. Mendoza and the Madam. Being all of the same 
religion, there was a bond of sympathy between them from 
the first moment of their meeting in Jerusalem. They guided 
the Doctor and the Madam all about Jerusalem, showed them 
all the relics of antiquity, gave them the best rooms in the 
convent; never let them go out of sight a single moment; 
attended them even to the Dead Sea, all from motives of the 
purest regard, and without even a hint at money. What 
could the Doctor do in return but make a handsome present 
of a hundred pounds to the convent, and a little pocket-money 
to these strangers in a strange land ? 
We were all delighted at this meeting on the shores of the 
Dead Sea. No sooner had we met and shaken hands, than 
Doctor Mendoza expressed himself in the following manner: 
“ Bad countree dis. Convenience for sleep in Jericho not 
good. I have drink de water of de Dead Sea and no like. 
De Madam also drink : consequent he are indispose. We 
shall proceed to Jerusalem. ’Tis imposs to exiss in dis coun¬ 
tree. I shall be content to depart for Beirut.” 
